Southwest Chicken Skillet

$6.76 recipe / $1.69 serving

So, you remember how much you love those Taco Chicken Bowls? And how they’re so easy because you just pour everything into the slow cooker and press go? Well guess what… You can do it in a skillet, too! Except this Southwest Chicken Skillet only takes about 30 minutes! #nolies

As long as you have some precooked chicken, whether from a store bought rotisserie or some shredded chicken that you made yourself, those yummy taco chicken bowls are about a half hour away from being in your belly. This Southwest Chicken Skillet version may even be a bit easier because there’s no need to cook the rice separately—it cooks right along with the beans, salsa, and other goods in the skillet. It’s ridiculously simple and it’s so tasty that today after I ate some for lunch I said, “I wish I had ten more bowls of that.”

I don’t know why beans, rice, and salsa are so good together, but I hope I never stop discovering new ways to eat them together. This is my favorite way so far. If you want to make it even more fancy, you can experiment with more toppings, like sour cream, diced avocado, or cilantro. Maybe even some crispy tortilla strips for crunch? Yum!!

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken Skillet

If you're looking for a quick and easy dinner, this Southwest Chicken Skillet is it! Precooked chicken makes this dinner possible in about 30 minutes.

Total Cost
$6.76 recipe / $1.69 serving

Prep Time5minutes

Cook Time20minutes

Total Time25minutes

Servings4to 6

Ingredients

1cupuncooked long grain white rice* $0.33

1cupsalsa $0.65

1.5-2cupsprecooked shredded chicken** $3.50

15 oz. canblack beans $0.49

1Tbspchili powder*** $0.30

1 3/4cupschicken broth**** $0.23

1cupshredded cheese $1.00

2-3green onions, sliced$0.26

Instructions

In a large skillet, combine the rice, salsa, chicken, black beans (drained), chili powder, and chicken broth. Stir until everything is evenly combined.

Place a tight fitting lid on the skillet, turn the heat on to high, and let the skillet come to a full boil. As soon as the skillet comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure it is simmering the entire time, turning the heat up slightly if needed (you should be able to hear it simmer quietly).

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it rest with the lid in place for 5 more minutes. Finally, remove the lid, and fluff the mixture with a fork. All of the liquid should be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, slice the green onions. Sprinkle the green onions over the melted cheese and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

*Brown rice can not be directly substituted for white rice in this recipe. Brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time than white rice.

**I used 1/2 of a store bought rotisserie chicken.

***Chili powder is not red chile powder. Chili powder is a mild blend of spices used to season chili. While some brands are a tad spicy, I use McCormick, which is mild.

****I used Better Than Bouillon Brand soup base to make my broth

Step by Step Photos

First step – so easy. In a large skillet combine 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, 1 cup salsa, 1.5-2 cups of shredded chicken, 15oz. can black beans (drained), and 1 Tbsp chili powder. Try to use a heavy skillet with a thick bottom because that will help the rice cook evenly and help prevent it from scorching on the bottom.

Add 1.75 cups of chicken broth.

Stir everything together well. You really want to make sure the rice is evenly distributed throughout the skillet. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a full boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. Make sure it’s simmering the whole time. Turn the heat up just slightly if it stops simmering, but keep it as low as possible to prevent the rice from scorching or sticking to the bottom.

After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Finally remove the lid and it should look like this – all of the liquid is absorbed and if you dig down with a fork to where the rice is, it should be tender. Most of the meat and beans will be on top and the rice will be underneath.

Fluff it up with a fork to mix everything back together. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top, then place the lid back on top and allow the steam to melt the cheese. Once melted, sprinkle the green onions over top.

217 comments on “Southwest Chicken Skillet”

This was the first recipe I tried from this website. If all the recipes on here are this tasty it’s going to be my new go to for new recipes and ideas. I sauteed celery and sweet red pepper in the pan before adding all the other ingredients. I also did half the chili powder because I was concerned it might be too hot. Well it wasn’t too hot so I know I’ll do the 1 tablespoon next time. Other than that it was very tasty, easy and fast. I will be making it again.

Delicious. Everyone in the family liked it. I made a taco salad and the others made burritos. I added 1/2 of a can of corn as someone had suggested. When we made our meals we added sour cream. The recipe produces more than 4-6 servings.

This recipe is amazing! The only thing I changed was swapped out the chicken broth for water and 2 bouillon cubes. I didn’t use any cheese, but it was still so yummy. Even the kids ate it and they hate beans. :)

I really liked how simple this was, yet it has plenty of flavor! My only issue was that my rice burned on the bottom. I was able to save some of it, but I guess I had it on too high. I will definitely try this again.

Loved it. Only I added oregano, garlic and onions to it. And i wanted brown rice and didnt want to “fiddle around” with it too much. So I added all the ingredients into the rice cooker and let that cook everything for me. Worked perfect and I didn’t have to worry if the rice was done or if I added too much liquid this way. Everyone was impressed.

I made my chicken in a crock pot with onions , jalepeno ,peppers, vegetable broth garlic cloves and chili poeder.After shredding the chicken I put it in the pan with the salsa vegetable broth and beans . I had precooked frozen rice from Trader Joe’s so I warmed it it in the microwave and added it to the pan and warmed everything. so easy my family loves this recipe, Thank you for sharing

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »